Say Hello To doubleDrive

... doubleDrive, familiarize yourself with that name, folks. As most of this year has been spent recording their Roadrunner debut and getting everything in order, we are almost ready to go... So, here's a quick update: Outside of a 30 minute set in July and a New Year's Eve show back in the A.M. hours of January, doubleDrive played their first show this past weekend at The Bay in Chattanooga, Tennessee in teh good ol' US of A. And the verdict after all this time off? "It was like the middle of a tour," told frontman Donnie earlier this afternoon. Much of the reason was the sound, as a man by the name of Big Red was behind the sound board (you may know Big Red from seeing/hearing the likes of Soulfly, Danzig, or Sevendust live). Big Red should be making the trip with the doubleDrive clan come this weekend - a five date tour run with Days Of The New. Catch them whilst they are on this roll...

Right now, there's no escaping doubleDrive. We present the facts, courtesy of our US office, as follows:
1) email rec'd from frontman Donnie two days ago, containing a new pic of the band.
2) a call from Donnie himself yesterday whilst he was driving somewhere down south. He reports that the night prior the band had their first 'full throttle' practice since returning from mixing their Roadrunner debut in NYC. Here on out, more 'all outta breath' practices, a 4-5 nights/week schedule.
3) if you were in the US office, all you'd have to do it open your ears - you can hear the man behind The Production Gospel According To Dave cranking out a couple of the band's tracks from their mix sessions, putting his expert ear on them. Speaking of which, just one day left on the mixing front - 1 new song and a couple re-calls. The Michael Barbiero (Guns N Roses Appetite For Destruction) will be heading the session, as he has done for the prior mix sessions. and...

Earlier this week (Wednesday, to be exact) Double Drive arrived in NYC. Purpose? The mixing of their Roadrunner debut. In fact, location of the mix is literally right around the corner from the Roadrunner office. In spite of being so close, it took two days for Donnie (vocals) and Troy (guitar) - the members from the band in NYC for the mix - to stop by the office...their first time ever stepping foot up in there. Donnie and Troy are working with producer Michael Barbiero mixing the album at the same quick pace in which they recorded. "First day of mixing put one in the can halfway through the day," tells Donnie, referring to finishing up their first track. "It's very minisquous," Donnie details. Huh? What he is saying is that they are busting it out, not looking for fine little problems. Troy swears, and perhaps rightfully so, that Donnie am making up words. So, how has the day gone for the boys from Double Drive thus far? They awoke at 12:30pm. "That's what time Donnie got up," Troy chimes in. Apparently Troy was awoken by Donnie waving socks around, or something like that...you get the idea. Come 2:00, they were at the studio - mixes, edits, re-edits, re-mixes of song "Imprint." Also, started doing some "comping" previously not done (you figure out what that studio jargon means). The boys tell of a 'latin jazz' thing happening in studio A beside them...next week the recording of some strings for one of the songs, a first for the band.
Roadrunner: Five words on (producer) Michael Barbiero?
Donnie: He's Rock and Roll royalty.
Michael, the man who headed the Double Drive recording and currently heading the mix sessions, also happens to be the man who mixed Guns N Roses Appetite For Destruction. Words of wisdom Donnie. The rest of the night for the band holds another late night at studio, working hard into Saturday morning before shut down. After that? "Partying," answers Donnie. "Hard," Troy quickly adds. They laugh. Donnie and Troy will be in town mixing until the 9th, so keep checking back for more updates. Title of the album they are working on? Kung Fu Johnson, we are informed. They laugh again... more to come...

Been a while since we made mention of this Atlanta based act. Well, they are hitting the studio come July 8th to record their Roadrunner debut. Where? Atlanta.

Here's a name you haven't heard much on the Roadrunner site as of late, Double Drive. But you know the saying, when it rains, it pours...tis currently just the calm before the storm. That being said, let's work on getting acquainted once again with Double Drive. And what better way to do such than through a live show??? There is none. Double Drive has booked a couple local US club dates for later this summer. They are as follows:
July 26 - ON THE BRICKS - ATLANTA, GA
August 3 - G STREET LIVE - WASHINGTON, DC
So if you are out that way, be sure to check em out!

Roadrunner Records is proud to announce the signing of the Atlanta based quartet Double Drive. Brought to you by the same A&R cat who brought Nickelback into the Roadrunner family, Double Drive is as follows - Donnie Hamby (vocals/guitar), Troy McLawhorn (guitar), Josh Sattler (bass), and Mike Froedge (drums).

Band sound familiar? Quite possibly, as in 1999 they released an album titled 1000 Yard Stare for MCA Records. Since then, most of their time has been spent touring.

They are now back home in Atlanta, where they are getting new material together for what will be their Roadrunner debut. No dates have been etched in stone as of yet for this project.